स पापकारी पापात्मा अनिष्टां गतिमाप्नुयात् । विष्णुरेव परं ब्रह्म विष्णुरेव जगद्द्विज
He is a doer of evil, of sinful soul, and attains an undesirable state. Viṣṇu alone is the Supreme Brahman; Viṣṇu alone is the world, O twice-born.
तस्यायं माधवो मासः प्रियः सर्वेषु कर्मसु । कीर्त्यते हयमेधादि महाक्रतुफलप्रदः
For him, this month of Mādhava is dear in all rites; it is said to bestow the fruit of great sacrifices like the horse-sacrifice.
तीर्थस्नान तपो दान जप यज्ञफलाधिकः
Bathing at holy places, austerity, giving, recitation, and sacrifice—its merit surpasses all these.
स्नानं विभाते नियमेन नद्यामनारतं मेषगते रवौ ये । कुर्वंति येऽस्मिन्नपि विप्रपूजां मद्दंडभाजो न हि ते भवंति
Those who bathe at dawn regularly in the river when the sun enters Aries, and those who even worship brāhmaṇas in this month, they never become subject to my punishment.
हत्वा हत्वा किंकरौघं पुरो मे लुप्त्वा लुप्त्वा चित्रगुप्तस्य लेख्यम् । स्नात्वा स्नात्वा माधवे मासि तीर्थे पूर्वान्पूर्वानुद्धरंतीह पापात्
Having slain and slain hosts of servants before me, having erased and erased the records of Citragupta, by bathing and bathing in holy places during the month of Mādhava, they here lift off former sins.
इदं भयच्छेदकरं न तस्मात्प्रकाशनीयं परमं रहस्यम् । निर्वासहेतुर्नरकालयस्य ममाधिकारक्षयकारणं तत्
This is the destroyer of fear; therefore, it should not be revealed—this is the supreme secret. It is the cause of release from the realm of hell, and the reason for the loss of my authority.
भागीरथीनर्मदा च यमुना च सरस्वती । विशोका च वितस्ता च विंध्यस्योत्तरतः स्थिताः
The Bhāgīrathī, Narmadā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī, Viśokā and Vitastā, situated to the north of the Vindhya—
गोदावरी भीमरथी तुंगभद्रा च देविका । तापी पयोष्णी विंध्यस्य दक्षिणास्तु प्रकीर्तिताः
Godāvarī, Bhīmarathī, Tuṅgabhadrā, and Devikā, Tāpī and Payoṣṇī are said to be to the south of the Vindhya.
द्वादशैता महानद्यो नित्यं तेनावगाहिताः । वैशाखे विधिना स्नानं नद्यां यः प्रातराचरेत्
These twelve great rivers, always entered by him—whoever bathes in the river at dawn in Vaiśākha, according to the prescribed rule—
सर्वाः समुद्रगाः पुण्याः सर्वे पुण्या नगोत्तमाः । सर्वे चायतनाः पुण्याः सर्वे पुण्या वनाश्रयाः
All those flowing to the ocean are holy, all the great mountains are holy, all shrines are holy, and all forest dwellings are holy.
तेनावगाहिता दृष्टाः प्रणता बहुसेविताः । स्नानमर्द्धोदिते सूर्ये वैशाखे नियतश्चरेत्
Having entered, seen, bowed to, and served them in many ways, one should bathe at sunrise in Vaiśākha with discipline.
तस्य पुण्यं महीदेव कश्चिद्वक्तुं न शक्यते । यदि वक्त्रसहस्राणां सहस्राणि भवंति हि
O lord of the earth, no one is able to describe the merit of that, even if there are thousands upon thousands of mouths.
आयुश्च ब्रह्मणा स्वल्पं यदि स्याद्द्विजसत्तम । तदा माधवमासस्य फलं कथयितुं भवेत्
O best of twice-born, if a person's lifespan, as ordained by Brahma, is short, then it would be possible to describe the fruits of the month of Mādhava.
महानिरयकर्षाग्नि माधवो माधवो यथा । ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापमगम्यागमनादिकम्
Just as the fire of the great hell drags one in, so too does the month of Mādhava; it destroys sins such as the killing of a Brahmin and those arising from forbidden acts and places.
कामाकामकृतं पापमेति पातकमेव च । उपपापरहस्यं च संकरीकरणं परम्
Sins committed intentionally or unintentionally, as well as grave transgressions, and the secret faults of minor sins, and the highest forms of impurity from mixing of castes—
जातिभ्रंशकरं घोरमपात्रीकरणं तथा । मलावहं प्रकीर्णं च वाङ्मनः काय संभवम्
Those terrible acts that cause loss of caste, that render one unfit for offerings, that bring defilement, that are scattered, and that arise from speech, mind, or body—
माधवो निर्दहेन्मासो विधिना समुपासितः । कल्पकोटिसहस्राणि कल्पकोटि शतानि च
The month of Mādhava, when properly observed, burns all these away; one who worships accordingly dwells for thousands of millions of aeons, and hundreds of millions of aeons.
वसेद्विष्णुपुरे श्रीमान्माधवे योऽर्चयेद्धरिम्
He who worships Hari during Mādhava, the blessed one, dwells in the city of Viṣṇu.
ऋषय ऊचुः - भूयो वद महाभाग रामचारित्रमद्भुतम् । राममाहात्म्यसर्वस्वं भक्तानां प्रीतिदायकम्
The sages said: Tell us again, O greatly fortunate one, the wondrous story of Rāma, the essence of Rāma's greatness, which brings joy to devotees.
सूत उवाच- अश्वमेधं क्रतुवरं कृत्वा दाशरथिर्यथा
Sūta said: After performing the horse sacrifice, the best of sacrifices, the son of Daśaratha—
प्रवृत्तो लोककृत्येषु शास्त्रकृत्येषु कोविदः । अयोध्यां गंतुकामेन शंकरेण महात्मना
Expert in worldly and scriptural duties, desiring to go to Ayodhyā, the great-souled Śaṅkara—
पार्वत्या सह देवेन उषितः सरयूतटे । मुनयस्तं समभ्येत्य शंकरं विश्वरूपिणम्
Having stayed on the banks of the Sarayū with Pārvatī, the god, the sages approached Śaṅkara, the one of universal form.
कश्यपाद्या महात्मानः पप्रच्छुरमितौजसम् । स्वागतं ते मुनिश्रेष्ठ सभार्यः कुत आगतः
The great sages, beginning with Kaśyapa, questioned him, whose energy is immeasurable: 'Welcome to you, best of sages, with your wife. From where have you come?'
किमागमनकृत्यं ते कं देशं गंतुमुद्यतः । शंकर उवाच- अहं शंभुरिति ख्यातो विप्रो हिमगिरिस्थितः
'What is the purpose of your coming? To which land are you intending to go?' Śaṅkara said: 'I am Śaṃbhu, so known, a Brāhmaṇa dwelling on the snowy mountain.'
द्रष्टुं च राघवं गच्छे मम कार्यं महत्ततः । मामाह्वयति राजासौ पुराणश्रवणे रतः
'I am going to see Rāghava; I have a great purpose. That king, devoted to hearing ancient tales, summons me.'
आगच्छंतु भवंतोऽपि राघवः परितुष्यति । ततस्ते मुनयः शंभुर्ययू रामदिदृक्षया
'May you all come as well; Rāghava will be pleased.' Then those sages, along with Śaṃbhu, went, wishing to see Rāma.
तानागतान्वसिष्ठस्तु ज्ञात्वा रामाय चोक्तवान् । ततः सत्वरमुत्थाय निर्ययौ स पुरोहितः
Vasiṣṭha, knowing they had arrived, spoke to Rāma; then, rising quickly, the priest went out.
अर्घ्यपाद्यादिकैस्सर्वान्पूजयामास तानृषीन् । गृहराजं ततः सर्वान्प्रावेशयदरिंदमः
He honored all those sages with offerings of water for washing the feet and hands, and so forth; then the subduer of enemies led them all into the royal house.
प्रत्येकमासनं दत्वा स्वागतोक्त्यासनस्थितान् । क्रमेण रघुशार्दूलः पूजयामास तानृषीन्
Giving each a seat, and welcoming them as they sat, the tiger among the Raghus honored those sages in order.
वाचा मधुरया प्रीणन्निदमाहासनस्थितान् । श्रीराम उवाच- अद्य मे सफलं जन्म प्राप्तमद्य तपः फलम्
Pleasing them with sweet words as they sat, Śrī Rāma said: 'Today my birth is fulfilled; today the fruit of my austerity is attained.'